Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
1258. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to assist the Ukrainian community across the county with educational opportunities, (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34168/26]
View answerIreland’s 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) provide free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programmes at beginner, intermediate, and advanced or professional levels. Some ESOL provision is aligned with specific employment sectors, including healthcare, hospitality, and childcare.
ESOL provision is currently delivered primarily on a face-to-face basis through ETB centres, outreach and community locations, and accommodation centres. Information about local courses can be found at www.fetchcourses.ie. Information can also be obtained from Adult Education Guidance Services, which operate in every ETB area and which are free of charge. Contact details are available at: www.etbi.ie/fet-guidance/contact-a-local-adult-guidance-service-2/.
Education and Training Board Ireland’s FET Digital Library, which is available at [https://library.etbi.ie/ESOLResources], hosts and links to a range of ESOL resources, including materials suitable for independent learning.
SOLAS, the statutory authority responsible for Further Education and Training, is currently exploring options for online ESOL delivery to complement existing in-person ETB provision.
